Door-closing device



Feb. 23, 1954 J. o. RYDBERG DOOR-CLOSING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Flled April 22. 1950 N IIQMI Johan OlOf I? dberg AH rn y.

n o t n Ye M I Feb. 23, 1954 J. o. RYDBERG 2,669,745

DOOR-CLOSING DEVICE Flled April 22, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnventor= Johan Olaf Rydberg yWE J Attorn y.

Feb. 23, 1954 J. o. RYDBERG 2,669,745 DOOR-CLOSING DEVICE Filed April 22, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.6

lnvenior: Johan O/of Rydberg byW B i At zrn y.

Patented Feb. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES attain ears OFFICE DOOR-CLOSING lDEJ ICE bolag, Eskilstuna,

Sweden Application April 22, 1950, Serial No. 157,571

(Cl. lit--51) 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improvement in automatic door-closing and door-check ing devices of the kind comprising a frame or housing in which two parallel shafts are rotatably journalled, said shafts being connected to one another through a link and lever mechanism through which rotational motion of either of said shafts is transmitted into rotational motion of the other of said shafts, one of said shafts being connected with means for transmitting rotational motion between said shaft and the door, and vice versa, when the door is being opened and closed, and the second shaft being connected to a door-closing spring in such manner that said spring is put under tension when the said second shaft is rotated through the said link and lever mechanism in a direction that corresponds to the opening movement of the door from its closed position, the said link and lever mechanism being so designed that the turning moment which is exerted by the said spring through the second shaft and the link and lever mechanism upon the first named shaft is at least equally large in the angular position of the first named shaft that corresponds to the closed position of the door, as in the angular position of the first named shaft that corresponds to the open posi-- tion of the door, notwithstanding the fact that the tension of the spring is less in the first mentioned case than in the last mentioned case.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a door-closing and door-checking device which s1 mic and inexpensive and requires little space, and yet is strong and durable and operates very reliably. With this purpose in view the present invention is characterized by the spring consisting of a helical spring which is positioned around the abovementioned second shaft, and that the check device for controlling the closing movement of the door is connected to the first named shaft. fhis arrangement pro vides the advantage that such forces as may be closing and door-checking devices embodying the present invention, the same reference numerals being used to designate similar parts in the various figures of the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a vertical longitudinal section on the line I-I in Fig. 2 of a door-closer which is adapted to be mounted on a door, and Fig. la is a fragmentary sectional view similar to the left-hand end of Fig. 1 with the piston of the check device in another position.

Fig. 2 shows a top plan View of the door-closer mechanism with the door-closing arm and the top portion of the housing removed and shown partially in sections.

Fig. 3 shows a vertical cross section on the line IIll-III in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line IV-IV in Fig. 5 of a modified form of doorcloser that is adapted to be inserted in a floor and i intended for doors that may he swung in either direction from a closed position, the abovementioned shaft that is connected with means for transmitting rotational motion between said shaft and the door, being broken away at its upper end, and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the door-closer with the top portion of the housing removed, parts of set up between the first named shaft and thecheck device and which may be quite large, for instance, if the door is forcibly shut, as by hand or by a strong draft, will not influence the link and lever mechanism, which therefore, will only be subjected to the force exerted by the spring. In this way lost motion in the said mechanism i avoided, and since the link of the said mechanism is only subjected to the tensile stress exerted by the spring, it is possible to make the said link in the form of a bendable or flexible member, such as a wire rope, a steel band or the like.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example a few constructional forms of doorthe mechanism being shown in a horizontal section on the line VV in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows a vertical cross. section of the door-closer on the line VIVI in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 7 is a top plan View of the door-closer corresponding to that shown in Fig. 5 but show-- ing certain parts in the positions occupied when ,the door has been swung partly open. in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 7, certain parts being shown in a horizontal section on the line VIIVII in Fig. 4.

Referring to the constructional form illustrated somewhat schematically in Figs. '1, 2 and 3, i denotes the housing or frame of the doorcloser which is adapted to be attached, as by means of lugs 3, to a door at the upper edge thereof and adjacent the hinged edge of the door,

in a well-known manner. Rotatably mounted in i .lug 24 on the upper hub 2!, and on the other side by an upright lug 25 on the lower hub 22.

The

spring 1 has an initial tension such that it tends to rotate the two hubs 2| and 22 in opposite directions so that the lugs 24 and 25 are forced against the said arm 23. The upper hub 2| is provided with a radial projection 25 which bears against the rear face, as viewed in Fig. 1, of a shoulder-127i on the inside of the; frame i and :the lower hub 122 is provided with a'corresponding projection 28 which bears against the front face of the said shoulder 2?. It will be understood that if the shaft is caused to rotate ,inthe counterclockwise direction, as viewed'in Fight, the arm 23 on the shaft 5 will act'upon the lug 24 on the upper hub 2i andicauseithezsaidmub to rotate with the shaft 5,-1whi1e:the:proiection 28 on the lower hub 22 will bear against the shoulder 27, thus preventing the lower hub 22 from rotating with the shaft. In this way, therefore, the spring i will be put under additional tension, when the shaft 5 is rotated in the QQLlBtGT-rfilOQkWiSfi ,direction, as above ...assumed, and will thus exert a Lturning moment on .the upper hub ii-l ,andmnthe-shaftll tendingeto turn said shaft in the opnositei. e..clockwisedirection.

The shafts and .5 are connected to one another through a link ,and elever :mechanism which, 'in the construction illustrated, comprises a lever tsecuredtothe upper end of the shaft 5 and connected through .a'; connecting link it with a lever H3 secured ito theshaft e. Attachedeto the upperendof the, shaft ,6, which projects above the cover} of the frame i, the usual-doorclosing arm iihtheireeendnf which is hingedly connected through a connecting :rod i2 .with a hinge memberii which .is' adapted to fastened. to the upper piece of the doorfranie. Assuming that when theidoorrto :whichthe-frame l of the door-closer is attached, is opened, theldooreclosingarm i i turns in the.countereclockwisedirection as viewed in ,Fig. ,2 relatively to the frame t, thecountencloclzwise rotation thus imparted to the shaft .5 is transmitted "through the link and leverinechanism ill, 9, ,Bto theshaftfi which is thus also caused to rotate in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in [for instance to the position of the link .and lever mechanism shown in :dashed outlines in Fig. .2.

By proper selection of the -.dimensions of the parts of the link and lover mechanism :and the angular positions .of the arms 8 and it? thereof relatively to the plane through the ,axes of the shafts ,5 and 5 the result (can be attained that, in spite of the fact that the tension of :the spring I is smallest when the door ,is ,in its .closed posis ll the turning moment exerted by the spring upon the shaft .t and t us p the {1091" is greater when the door is in its closed position than when the door is in an open position. Ithis will be understood from a consideration of Fig. 2 in which the perpendicular from the axis of the shaft 6 to the link 9, :i. e to :a line drawn through the centers of the pivots of said link, is larger in the position of the link and lever mechanism shown in full drawn lines, which position corresponds to the closed position of the door, than in the position of the link and lever mechanism shown in dashed outlines. In addi tic-n, the perpendicular from the axis of the shaft 5 to the linl; 9 is considerably shorter in the full drawn position of the link and lever mechanism than in the position shown in dashed outlines, which means that the leverage with which the spring acts upon the link is considerably larger in the first named case than in the last named case.

It will be understood that when the door is being opened, causing the shaft 8 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 2, the link 9 is subjected to a pulling force causing a tensile stress in the link, and similarly, when the door is released the spring '3 produces a pull in the link 9 icausin'g iclockwise rotation iof the shaft 6. Thereforeythe link 9 is'only'subjected "to tensile stresses, and it can not be subjected to larger .lforces than those produced by the spring even if .the vclooris forcibly closed as by hand or by a draft. "It will be understood that there will be noilostimotion.in-lthezlink and lever mechanism,

eandxthat astheilinkcii is only subjected to pulling iforcesritimay bezrep'laced by a bendable or flexible member, such'as a wire rope or a steel band.

,The check device which serves to check or brake the closingmovement of the door under thejnfiuence of the spring '1, consists in a manner well known in the art or a piston i3 which is movable in-a cylinder :14 {provided in the lower portionof theihousing l. lfhepiston 1-3 is connected by means of la connecting rod 1-8 to a crank ti on the lowerend .of the-shaft ii. JShe piston L3 .is provided with-a throughopeningfii extending from aurecessin the piston for the connecting rod to :the left-hand race of the piston, as viewedinFig. 1, wherethesaid opening 3| is provided withia .check valve which, in theinstance illustrated, consists of aleaf spri-ng ie-attached to theiaceof the piston. Whenthe door v.is opened and :the shaft 6 rotates in the counter-clockwise 'direction "as viewed in Fig. .2, the crank i'i ,pulls the piston 13 to -the right in Fig. l. The brake liquid, such .a's-ioil, present in the cylinder M ion the right-hand side of the piston l3 and in the chamber :32 below the shaft 6, then flows through the openingdl and .past the valve is into the-chamber of the cylinder M to the left of .the piston as viewed in :Fig. 1. When the door swings to closed :position under the action-ofthe-spring .1 which rotates'the shaft 6 in the olockwise direction, the crank l1 pushes the ,piston :13 to the left in 1. During this movement the valve :95 is closed, and the liquid present in-the chamber of the cylinder M to the left of .the piston "i 3 flows out through a passage 33,, 333 leading from the inner surface of cylinder M'toport 334 in theabove-mentioned chamber .32 and controlled :by a needle valve 34, as

shown in Figs. let-and -3. ."Ihe arrangement and function of this passage 33, 333 and its control valve .34 are well known .in the art and need not, therefore, be further described. Due to the re-- stricted outflow of the liquid from the chamber to the-left of the piston I3, the-closing movement of the door is efiectively braked. If the doorcloser is operated when not mounted-0n a door, the force acting on the link and lever mechanism and the force acting between shaft :6 and piston 13 are dependent upon 'one another, but when the door-closer is mounted on a door, an increase of the force betweensh-aft 6 and piston l3 will arise due in part to the inertia of the door and in part to additional-forces on the door due for instance to a draft oria strong wind or when an attempt is made to force the door shut. Such an increase of the force acting between shaft 6 and piston l3 does not influence the link and lever mechanism which is only subie'cte'd to the force that is produced by the spring t.

In the constructional form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the check device is located in the frame I in such manner that the axis of the 'pis'- ton I3 lies in the plane through the'ax'e's of the shafts 5 and t. By this arrangement the frame or housing 5 may be given the shape of a relatively narrow, substantially parallelepipedic box which is suitable for mounting on a door. The. piston Iii and cylinder it being located at the lower end of the shaft t below the lever it, it is possible to construct the checlt device in such manner that it does not materially increase the dimensions of th door-closer as a whole beyond what is necessary for allowing the swinging movement of the lever iii.

The door-closer illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive is adapted to be inserted in a fioor below that edge of the door where the axis of rotation of the door is located, and in such manner that the top portion or cover 2 of the housing I or" the door-closer lies substantially flush with the surface of the floor. Also, in this construction there are rotatably mounted in the housing i and. in the cover 2 thereof two parallel vertical. shafts 5 and ii. The vertical shaft 55 surrounded by a strong helical spring The construction of the spring and the means for transmitting the tension of the spring to the shaft 5 are substantially similar to those above described in connection with lligs. l to 3 inclusive, and include an upper hub member 723 and a lower hub member 22, both rotatably mounted on the shaft 5, and

laterally projecting arm 52?; secured to the shaft 5 and embraced by a depending lug it on hub 2i and. an upright lug 25 on hub 22. The upper hub 21 is provided with a projection which bears against the rear face, as viewed in Fig. e, of the shoulder 27 on the inside of the housing i, and the lower hub 22 is provided with a corresponding projection 2t which bears against the end 46 of an adjustment screw M which is screwthreaded through the housing i and passes through the said shoulder 2?, as shown n The upper inwardly bent end 32 of the spring i is inserted in a recess 53 in the upper hub 2 l and the lower inwardly bent end M of the sprin l is inserted in a recess 35 in the lower hub 22, Figs. 4: and 7. Also in this case the spring i has an initial tension such that it tends to rotate the two hubs 2i and :21. in opposite directions, so that the two lugs 24 and forced against opposite sides of the arm so that in the positions shown in. o. and the projection 28 on hub it bears a ainst the rear face of the shoulder 22 and the pr jection 2i"; bears against the end ii? of the adjur-stment screw i l, which is provided to ensure that the two lugs tit and. 25 and the two projections and are simultaneously in contact with the opposed surfaces on the arm on the shoulder iii and screw it), respectively, so as to eliminate lost motion. It will he understood that if the 5 is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction as viewed in :2, the upper hub 2i will be rotated in the same direction by the arm 23 and will carry along the upper end of the spring i, whereas the lower end M of the spring i is held stationary by the projection 2i; holding the lower hub from rotation. In this way the put under additional tension. Similarly, if the shaft 5 is rotated in the cloc wise direction in 5 the lower hub 22 wi l re rotated by the arm while the upper hub ii is held stationary, and also in this case, therefore, additional tension is put upon. the spring.

The link and lever mechanism which connects the two shafts 5 and with one another coniprises a lever 35 which is secured to the upper end of the shaft 5, and two links in the form of to the outer end of said lever 38. Said chains may suitably consist of lengths of a sprocket chain, such as a cycle chain which has proved to be very suitable for this purpose. The other ends of the chains are hingedly attached to the ends of a two-armed lever 4| which is secured to the shaft 6. The upper end of this shaft pro jects above the cover 2 and is assumed to be connected through suitable means well known in the art and not illustrated in the drawing, to the lower pivot of the door, also not shown in the drawing, so that the shaft 6 is always rotated in the same direction as the door is swung. When the door is swung in the counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 5 and 7 from its closed position which corresponds to the position of the parts shown in Fig. 5, the shaft 6 is thus also rotated in the same direction, for instance to the position of the parts shown in Fig. 7, and the rotational movement of the lever M is transmitted through the chainv 39 to the lever 38 which rotates the shaft 5 in the C0lll'1t8T-Cl3olsiWi-Se direction. In this way additional tension is applied to the spring i, as above explained, with the result that when the door is released, the spring will rotate the shaft 5 and the lever 38 in the clockwise direction, such movement being transrnitted through the chain as to the lever t! and 6, so that the door is swung back in the clockwise direction to its closed position. It will readily be understood that if the door is swung open in the clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. the shaft 6 and the lever M will be rotated in the same direction, and the turnin moment of the lever ii will be transmitted through the chain to to the lever 38 causing the latter and the shaft 1 to turn in the clockwise direction. whereby, as above explained, the spring I is put under tension so that, as soon as the door is released, the spring will rotate the shaft 5 and the lever 38 in the counter-clockwise direction, the movement of the lever 38 being transmitted through the chain til to the lever shaft E5, so that the door is swung in the counter-clockwise direction back to its closed position.

Also in this case it is possible, by suitably dimensioning and adjusting the link and lever mechanism, to attain that the turning moment exerted by the spring 1 upon the shaft 5 and thus upon the door is greater immediately before the.

tendency of the lever 38 to move from its middle,

position.

The check device which serves to check or brake the closing moment of the door under the influence of the spring 'i, consists in a manner well known in the art of a piston l3, Figs. 4 and 6, which is movable in a cylinder 54 provided in the lower portion of the housing I, the piston being connected by means of a connecting rod it to a crank ll on the lower end of the shaft 5. When the door is swung in either direction from. its closed position and the crank ii is rotated from its intermediate position shown in Fig. 6,

" the cranlr pulls the piston I3 to the right in Fig. 6

so that the liquid contained in the chamber 32 and in the cylinder M to the right of the piston it flows through the opening 3! in the piston and past the leaf spring valve l5 into the chamher in the cylinder M to the left of the piston l3.

aeea'mo 7 When the door returns to its closed position, the crank l1 pushes the piston 13 to the left in Fig. 6, and the liquid contained in the chamber of the cylinder M to the left of the piston I3 is forced out through a passage 33 which leads to the abovementioned chamber 32 and is provided with a needle valve 34, in a manner well known in the art and as ab'ovedescribed in connection with Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. By regulating the outfiovt through the passage 33 by means of the valve 34 the desired braking or checking action on the door during its closing movement can easily be obta'inedi Also in this case the forces acting between the shaft 3 and the piston 13 due to additional forces acting on the door, such as a draft or an attempt to force the door shut, will not influence the link and lever mechanism between the two shafts.

In the constructional form illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive, the check device is located in such manner that the axis of the piston 13 forms right angles with the plane through the axes of the shafts 5 and ii. This arrangement provides the advantage that the housing 5 can be shaped in a manner that is suitable for a fioor doorcloser, as the housing need not extend to the left of the'shaft 6 as viewed in Figs. 4 and 5, farther than is necessary in order to provide clearance for the swinging movement of the lever ll Conseq'uently, the housing need not extend very far below the upright of the door-frame adjacent which the pivots of the door are located.

It will be understood that the links or chains 39 and 40 used in the constructional form just described are only subjected to pulling forces when the door is swung open in either direction as well as when the spring returns the door to its closed position.

.I claim:

LA door-closing and checking device of the character described, comprising a housing, a first shaft rotatably journalled in said housing, means connected with said shaft for transmitting rotary motion from said shaft to the door and from the door to said shaft, a check device operatively connected to said first shaft, a second shaft parallel to said first shaft and rotatably journalled in said housing, a link and lever mechanism connecting said shafts to one another and adapted to transmit rotary motion from either of said shafts to the other .of said shafts, and a helical spring positioned around said second shaft coaxial therewith and connected at one point to said housing and at another point to said second shaft whereby said spring is put under "tension when said second shaft is rotated by said link and lever mechanism in a direction corresponding to the opening movement of the door from its closed position, said link and lever mechanism comprising a first lever secured to said first shaft in such manner that in the position of said first shaft that corresponds to the closed position of the door said first lever forms an angle to the line of connection between the axes of said first and second shafts and upon rotation of said first shaft in a direction corresponding to the opening movement of the door the outer end of said first lever is moved away from said second shaft, a second lever secured to said second shaft in such manner that in the position of said second shaft that corresponds to the closed position of the door said second lever is directed away from said first shaft and upon rotation of said second shaft in a direction corresponding to the opening movement of the door said second lever is moved in a direction towards said first shaft, and alink member having an unvarying length hingedly attached at its ends to the ends of said first and second levers.

2. A door-closing and checking device as defined in claim 1, in which the link member is a flexible link member hingedly attached to the ends of said first and second levers.

3. A door-closing and checking device as defined in claim 1, in which the link and lever mechanism comprises a two-armed lever secured to the first shaft, a single-armed lever secured-to the second shaft, and two flexible link members, each such member having one of its ends hingedly attached to the end of one of the arms of said double-armed lever on the first shaft and its other end hingedly attached to the end of the lever on the second shaft.

4. A door-closing and checking device as defined in claim 1, in which the check device comprises a cylinder, a piston movable in said cylinder, a crank on the first shaft, and a connecting rod connecting said piston with said crank, said check device being located in the housing in such manner that the axis of the piston of said device forms rightangles to a vertical plane through the axes of the first and second .shafts.

JOI-IAN OLOF RYDBERG.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,447,630 Richter Mar. 6, 1923 1,832,699 Garrison Nov. 17, 1931 2,085,593 Lasier June 29, 1937 2,133,709 Lasier Oct. 18, 1938 2,360,095 Aspinwall Oct. 10, 1944 

